Nearly 2.2 million passengers are expected to go through Thailand's six major airports during the seven-day New Year holiday season when airlines boost flights to cater to surging travel demand.
The number of passengers, both departing and arriving, represents a 22.75% jump over the same period last year.
From Dec 27 to Jan 2, 12,600 aircraft will take off and land, up by 17%, according to a projection by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT).
Each day, an average of 314,000 travellers will board and disembark at AoT-operated airports, up by 58,000 from last year, while aircraft movements will average 1,800 a day, up by 260.
An AoT official yesterday said projections of passenger traffic and aircraft movements were based on the normal scenario and flights booked by airlines.
They did not take into account the impact, now unknown, from anti-government rallies, largely in Bangkok.
The bulk of passenger traffic and aircraft movement over the holiday will take place at Suvarnabhumi airport, the country's gateway airport, with 171,000 passengers a day (up by 13.26%) and 940 daily aircraft movements (up by 18.9%).
Daily traffic projections for five other Thailand airports are as follows:
- Don Mueang: 71,000 passengers (up by 63.66%) and 410 aircraft movements (up by 14.3%)
- Phuket: 38,000 passengers (up by 12.14%) and 225 movements (up by 9.15%)
- Chiang Mai: 22,000 passengers (up by 27.16%) and 165 movements (up by 28.33%)
- Hat Yai: 8,000 passengers (up by 20.78%) and 55 movements (up by 10.32%).
- Chiang Rai: 4,000 passengers (up by 10.32%) and 27 movements (up by 20.38%).
Meanwhile, Tassapon Bijleveld, chief executive of Thai AirAsia, told the Bangkok Post that the kingdom's largest low-cost carrier has begun to see a limited impact from the political tensions, particularly among Chinese travellers.
There is a slowdown in traffic from China but not at an alarming rate, though he warned that an escalation of political unrest could have a bigger impact on international arrivals.
"The crux of the problem is that most international visitors are arriving in Thailand through Bangkok and if any [political] trouble took place there, the overall impact on Thailand's arrivals would be felt," Mr Tassapon said.
However, domestic passenger traffic has remained unaffected, he added.